MONTERO RURAL HEALTH PROJECT - FINAL CONSULTANT REPORT : RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

THE CONSULTANT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT. DURING THIS PERIOD, 13 MAJOR STUDIES WERE DESIGNED AND INITIATED BY THE CONSULTANT. AS A RESULT OF THESE ACTIVITIES,APPROXIMATELY 95 PEOPLE RECEIVED TRAINING AND SUPERVISED PRACTICE IN ONE OR MORE ASPECTS OF THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. HOWEVER,MUCH REMAINED UNFINISHED. THE LACK OF A CLEAR AND COMPREHENSIVE DEFINITION OF INFORMATION NEEDS AND THE INABILITY TO FIND A SUITABLE COUNTERPART ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE PROGRAM. IN ALL, THE ADVISOR PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTED 26 REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS INCLUDING BASIC WORKING DOCUMENTS AND FINAL REPORTS FOR THREE SPECIFIC STUDIES -- "PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN 39 COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF SANTA CRUZ" (7/77),"ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION" (9/78),AND "PERSONNEL UTILIZATION AND ATTITUDES -- AN EVALUATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SYSTEM" (7/79). A WIDE VARIETY OF INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED ON 72 RURAL COMMUNITIES BY AUXILIARY NURSES,RURAL TEACHERS,AND MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT OUTREACH TEAM. OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDED MAPPING OF COMMUNITIES AND THE METRO AREA,A CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING,A RURAL HEALTH HOUSEHOLD SURVEY,A LONGITUDINAL MORBIDITY STUDY,A NUTRITIONAL SURVEY OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN,AND STUDIES OF REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT ONLY A PORTION OF THE ORIGINALLY PLANNED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES MERITED PRIORITY. FORTUNATELY IN PRACTICE,BROAD FLEXIBILITY WAS PERMITTED IN CONCEPTUALIZING AND MODIFYING THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH PROGRAM--BUT AT CONSIDERABLE COST IN TERMS OF TIME AND ENERGY. THE AUTHOR'S PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT ONE OF THE FIRST ACTIVITIES IN EXTENDING RURAL HEALTH SERVICES ON A NATIONAL SCALE SHOULD BE THE DESIGN OF A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION SYSTEM.